My new variety of lily plant originated as a seedling, which first flowered in 't Zand, Netherlands in 1986. The breeding efforts had as their objective the production of Asiatic hybrid lilies with upfacing, vibrant red flowers in a compact inflorescence, suited to forcing into flower out of season, heretofore unknown in the lily breeding art. I achieved the desired objective by intercrossing Lilium `Charisma` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,180) with Lilium `Red Carpet` (unpatented). The flowers of my new lily are characterized by an upright orientation, large size, and a vibrant red color; and they are borne on a compact inflorescence. The clone possesses unusually strong, stout stems. In addition, it possesses to a high degree desirable characteristics of hybrid vigor. The clone is a good grower and propagator, as observed at 't Zand, Netherlands.
My new variety of lily plant has been asexually reproduced by me and under my direction at 't Zand, Netherlands. Successive generations produced by natural propagation from bulblets, by bulb scale propagation, and by tissue culturing from bulb scale explants have demonstrated that the novel and distinctive characteristics of my new variety are fixed and hold true under asexual propagation from generation to generation.
The most closely related plant known to myself is a sibling plant from the same cross named `Red Dwarf`. This sibling is the subject of a copending application. While `Scarlet Dwarf` and `Red Dwarf` are similar in size, plant confirmation and flower characteristics, they are easily distinguished by the fact that the ovaries of `Scarlet Dwarf` are much more conspicuous, being near straw color even when grown under very cool or intensely illuminated conditions, while those of `Red Dwarf` are inconspicuous and nearly the red color of the tepals. Moreover, both the inner and outer tepals of `Scarlet Dwarf` are slightly ruffled by marginal undulations, while such undulations are virtually confined to the inner tepals of `Red Dwarf` and appear only on flowers that have been open for several days. The tepals of `Scarlet Dwarf` are slightly stiffer, preventing them from reflexing to the same degree as those of `Red Dwarf`. The flowers of `Red Dwarf` are noticeably flatter than those of `Scarlet Dwarf`.